ON learning that the Virgin had appeared anew, and revealed her name to Bernadette, the Prefect sent a Commission, composed of two medical men, to the house of Soubirous. He chose them from among those, who, like himself, rejected the Supernatural, and who had their conclusions written beforehand in their so-called medical philosophy. These two physicians who belonged to Lourdes―one of them being an intimate friend of the Procureur Impérial―had been exhausting their efforts for the last three weeks in supporting all kinds of theories on catalepsy, somnambulism, hallucination, and waging a war of exasperation against the inexplicable radiances of Bernadette in her state of ecstasy, the gushing forth of the Spring, and against the sudden cures which were perpetually occurring to effect a breach in the doctrines with which their professional education had imbued them.
It was to these men and under these circumstances, that the Prefect, in his wisdom, deemed it right to confide the examination of Bernadette.
These gentlemen felt the child’s head and did not discover in it anything wrong. On comparing it with the system of Gall, no signs of the bump of insanity were visible. The child’s answers were sensible, without any contradictions or singularity. There was nothing exaggerated in the nervous system: on the contrary, there was the most perfect equilibrium, and an indescribable calmness. The little girl’s chest suffered often from asthma, but this infirmity had no connection with a derangement of the brain.
The two physicians, who in spite of their prejudices were truly conscientious men, recorded all this in their report, and attested the healthy and normal state of the child.
However, as when the Apparitions were in Question, she persisted without variation in her account of what had taken place, the two gentlemen, who utterly disbelieved the possibility of visions of the kind, laid considerable stress on that head, in order to affirm that Bernadette might possibly be laboring under a state of hallucination.
In spite of their anti-supernatural notions, they dared not―after seeing the child’s state, in which mind and body seemed to be so equally balanced―assume a more decided tone of affirmation. They felt instinctively, that it was not their positive science, with its concomitant certitude, but rather their preconceived philosophical opinions which led them to a conclusion of this kind, and which answered one question by propounding another.
The Prefect did not scrutinize the affair so narrowly, and the report appeared to him sufficient. Armed with this document, and in virtue of the law of June 30th, 1838, he determined to have Bernadette arrested and conducted to Tarbes to be shut up provisionally in the hospital, from which she would doubtless be transferred eventually to the lunatic asylum.
It was not enough to strike a blow at the child, it was necessary to create a barrier to this extraordinary movement of the people. M. Rouland had insinuated in his letter to the Prefect, that this was possible without outstepping the limits of the law. For this, it was only required to consider the Grotto as an Oratory, and to have it stripped of its ex-votos and the offerings of believers.
If these believers opposed any resistance, a squadron of calvary would be quartered at Tarbes, ready to act as events might render necessary. An outbreak would have crowned the secret wishes of many. It only remained to put into execution these various measures against Bernadette and the population of the Department. The Prefectoral infallibility had recognized their necessity and urgency, in order to ward off the increasing attacks of Superstition.
It was not enough to strike a blow at the child, it was necessary to create a barrier to this extraordinary movement of the people. M. Rouland had insinuated in his letter to the Prefect, that this was possible without outstepping the limits of the law. For this, it was only required to consider the Grotto as an Oratory, and to have it stripped of its ex-votos and the offerings of believers.
If these believers opposed any resistance, a squadron of calvary would be quartered at Tarbes, ready to act as events might render necessary. An outbreak would have crowned the secret wishes of many. It only remained to put into execution these various measures against Bernadette and the population of the Department. The Prefectoral infallibility had recognized their necessity and urgency, in order to ward off the increasing attacks of Superstition.
